Brian MacKay gave a lecture at my school a couple of summers ago, and I was really intrigued with what his firm is doing with their Ghost Lab project. I'd really like to be a part of the program, preferably next summer. Hefty price tag, but I may be able to manage it with some left over loan money. It'd be great to do some hands-on work, in Nova Scotia of all places. I'm thinking I could use it toward school credit. I'm starting at Tulane this fall and they have an internship/study abroad requirement. I think this fits neatly into both catagories.
Is anyone familiar with Ghost Lab? Know if it's difficult to get into the program as a graduate student? I'm wondering if it's one of those things where you have to know the right people. Thoughts?
I went last year (Ghost 10) and can answer those questions.
I applied randomly and was one of two people there out of a little over 20 which were not affiliated with a college or firm that had a connection. Brian looks for a well-balanced team and that plays a role in who he takes from the outside. Both myself and the other non-affiliated person had construction/fabrication experience, and I think that may have had something to do with it.
I can guarantee it will be an amazing experience and will be worth every penny. I'd do it every year if I could make the time and money to do so.
I would love to be a part of that project/studio/experience. All I've ever heard has been good stuff, and I enjoy Brian as a lecturer and as an author, however the cost really does scare me.
1. Brian is in no way making a pretty penny off of anything - he is, without any doubt, doing it for the love of education and the process. The fee is all inclusive: two meals a day are professionally catered (along with a HUGE party at the end) and fridges are kept decently stocked for breakfast/snacks, the structural engineer and g.c. are heavily involved with the project, rental vehicles are at your disposal 24/7 if you feel like grabbing something, and there are no additional project expenses for building materials, etc. The only stuff I remember paying for while I was there was beer and fireworks. From the same store, right next to each other. Nothing beats a 4-man Roman candle battle on a beach at night.
2. I got an amazing experience, great friends, and some new contacts at firms I really respect. The setting is probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen - I even got to somewhat get over my distrust of horses (they're huge... and the eyes...). Oh yeah, I got a full-page photo and mention of my tattoos in Monocle Magazine. Look it up and get a good laugh.
3. Some projects are finished out (like the cabins and studio) and kept on-site permanently, while others are left up as follies and eventually recycled for other projects. Of the two tower projects that were features in Arch Record a while back, only one is still up, etc. I'm not sure what the future of the project I worked on is, but from a recent blurb I read somewhere it might be getting a more 'permanent' status.
Keep any questions coming, I'm more than happy to answer whatever I can. Jason Cross (is he still on here - I think that was his name) did Ghost a couple years before me, hopefully he'll chime in also.
Pixel,
Thanks for the link to your Ghost photos. I browsed thru a few but will definitly be back later when I have time. I have a copy of his 2005 "Plain Modern" monograph. It focuses on MacKay-Lyons' work in general, but also includes a section on the Ghost Lab projects (I think it goes up to Ghost V or VI). Nice photos with a well-written text.
Treebeard,
I would take a serious look into applying, and figure out later how to pay for it if you're accepted. Its one of those things where IMHO you have to take advantage of the window of opportunity in your career.
Chupa here -(Jason Cross) I did the Ghost the year before Pixel. It was a blast and well worth the money.
If you do it be flexible and communicate things you are interested in so that you can get yourself into it. With so many people working at once, one who does not express what they want to learn could end up not engaging in that activity at all. You must interact and communicate...it is all about the interaction between everyone...other guests, engineers, Brian, etc.
The place is as beautiful as any place I have ever been. This is just an added element to the architecture and building. The sense of site is overwhelming - you are jutting out into the ether of the atlantic ocean...and the environment is always in flux, clouds, fog, wind, horns, waves.
Do not go if you just want some technical experience such as Habitat for Humanity...Ghost is NOTHING like that. It is not about merely the relationship to making, but the relationship to place, process, and building. More than likely the design is done...Brian has a good idea of what he wants. That was my only disappointment, but by the end I realized that the whole thing would be impossible if you started at point A.
That said, you do get to walk through the designs process and get a history of how the design arrived at the point of departure where you have arrived.
If you get a chance and can afford it, do it. You will not be disappointed.
that's awesome! i'm glad there are some people here who got to be a part of it. i think that i could afford the pricetag at this point. i'm viewing next summer as my last window of opportunity to do something like this. i'm graduating in two years, then i have to start making money and assume more responsibilties, blah blah blah. my concern is that 1) i have no construction or design/build experience- i did habitat for humanity in high school, but that doesn't count- and 2) i'm not a strong, scrappy guy. soo... from their point of view, i don't have a whole lot to bring to the table. maybe i can impress them with my portfolio and maybe a good letter of recommendation?
it makes sense that they have the design already fleshed out, and that's where i feel my strengths are right now. i do want to get involved, as others are saying, it seems like a wonderful experience. hmm. were there any people there with little building experience?
You don't need to be a big guy to do it. It does help if you are wanting to get involved in that type of thing though...that said, there were many who didn't. They stuck to more of the bigger team work such as sawing limber with a chop saw to just nailing...it is wood construction so there is plenty of nails to be hit with a hammer.
Don't let any personal insecurity keep you from doing it. There were all types there and everyone got to get involved. Everyone that wanted to do something go to at least try it out.
I believe the large majority of the group I worked with had absolutely no building experience whatsoever - maybe thats why I was accepted that year. With the experience I had I spent a large amount of time hanging out in the rafters as not everyone felt comfortable scampering around the rough framing or hanging off of scaffolding with a circ saw. The group as a whole tried to team less-experienced individuals up with those with a bit more whenever possible, and did our best to let everyone do the type of work they wanted to do, regardless of if they'd done it before. When you're working against a deadline its not always easy to do, but we made it work (or I think we did).
Like Chupa' said, don't let any personal insecurities stop you from trying - you can thank us next summer when you get back!
If anybody wants a design/build experience without doing any of the design part, meet me at the University of Manitoba student garden tonight at 5:30. You'll be banging nails to build a wood shed that's half done, but needs one wall and the roof put up. Shouldn't take more than a week.
I'll only charge you $2000, and the food is free - straight from the garden, including eggs from the newly-arrived chickens.
(Hell, act now and I won't even charge you AND still provide food. I'm serious.)
sorry to join this discussion so late, and i can't add much more to what pixelwhore & chupa [what's up jason?!] described about the experience. ghost lab 8 for me was a blast and it has had a profound affect on my approach to design and practice.
although the price seems steep, it pays for literally everything [travel, meals, field trips, room and board, the party, and even building materials], and is definitely well worth it. to focus on the money side of it, there are many ways to finance this kind of a trip.
-take out a loan on your 401K if you have started one [it's already your money, you just have to pay it off within a year]
-try to get a personal loan from local banks, or family
-apply for travel scholarships with a design related professional organization [AIA, etc.]
-if you work at a firm, talk to them about paying for at least a portion of the trip. i was able to convince my firm to pick up the plane ticket cost [round trip $800]
-maybe talk to the office administrator [beth?] about financial aid through the program itself
bottom line is that there are always ways to get or pay back the money, but the experience is what counts. and don't let anyone else fool you--the surfing that time of year is supposed to be awesome. bring your wetsuit and your board, because the beach is only a walk away!
Aug 27, 09 1:38 pm ·
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Ghost Lab- MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects
Brian MacKay gave a lecture at my school a couple of summers ago, and I was really intrigued with what his firm is doing with their Ghost Lab project. I'd really like to be a part of the program, preferably next summer. Hefty price tag, but I may be able to manage it with some left over loan money. It'd be great to do some hands-on work, in Nova Scotia of all places. I'm thinking I could use it toward school credit. I'm starting at Tulane this fall and they have an internship/study abroad requirement. I think this fits neatly into both catagories.
Is anyone familiar with Ghost Lab? Know if it's difficult to get into the program as a graduate student? I'm wondering if it's one of those things where you have to know the right people. Thoughts?
Here's the link to the website for anyone interested:
http://www.mlsarchitects.ca/ghost/
I went last year (Ghost 10) and can answer those questions.
I applied randomly and was one of two people there out of a little over 20 which were not affiliated with a college or firm that had a connection. Brian looks for a well-balanced team and that plays a role in who he takes from the outside. Both myself and the other non-affiliated person had construction/fabrication experience, and I think that may have had something to do with it.
I can guarantee it will be an amazing experience and will be worth every penny. I'd do it every year if I could make the time and money to do so.
oh yeah....
Flickr photo sets:
normal shots
panos
it's only 2 weeks?
I would love to be a part of that project/studio/experience. All I've ever heard has been good stuff, and I enjoy Brian as a lecturer and as an author, however the cost really does scare me.
just look into habitat for humanity if you want to get into design/build type work
i have had some of the same questions for the past couple years. The pricetag has also been a big issue. I'm sure it is an incredible experience.
I'm just not sure about paying someone to build them a project on their land. It kinda seems like Mckay-Lyons is makin out like a bandit.
Pixel, any feedback would be great. Would love to hear what you got out of it.
Do they keep they projects up, permanently?
1. Brian is in no way making a pretty penny off of anything - he is, without any doubt, doing it for the love of education and the process. The fee is all inclusive: two meals a day are professionally catered (along with a HUGE party at the end) and fridges are kept decently stocked for breakfast/snacks, the structural engineer and g.c. are heavily involved with the project, rental vehicles are at your disposal 24/7 if you feel like grabbing something, and there are no additional project expenses for building materials, etc. The only stuff I remember paying for while I was there was beer and fireworks. From the same store, right next to each other. Nothing beats a 4-man Roman candle battle on a beach at night.
2. I got an amazing experience, great friends, and some new contacts at firms I really respect. The setting is probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen - I even got to somewhat get over my distrust of horses (they're huge... and the eyes...). Oh yeah, I got a full-page photo and mention of my tattoos in Monocle Magazine. Look it up and get a good laugh.
3. Some projects are finished out (like the cabins and studio) and kept on-site permanently, while others are left up as follies and eventually recycled for other projects. Of the two tower projects that were features in Arch Record a while back, only one is still up, etc. I'm not sure what the future of the project I worked on is, but from a recent blurb I read somewhere it might be getting a more 'permanent' status.
Keep any questions coming, I'm more than happy to answer whatever I can. Jason Cross (is he still on here - I think that was his name) did Ghost a couple years before me, hopefully he'll chime in also.
Pixel,
Thanks for the link to your Ghost photos. I browsed thru a few but will definitly be back later when I have time. I have a copy of his 2005 "Plain Modern" monograph. It focuses on MacKay-Lyons' work in general, but also includes a section on the Ghost Lab projects (I think it goes up to Ghost V or VI). Nice photos with a well-written text.
Treebeard,
I would take a serious look into applying, and figure out later how to pay for it if you're accepted. Its one of those things where IMHO you have to take advantage of the window of opportunity in your career.
Chupa here -(Jason Cross) I did the Ghost the year before Pixel. It was a blast and well worth the money.
If you do it be flexible and communicate things you are interested in so that you can get yourself into it. With so many people working at once, one who does not express what they want to learn could end up not engaging in that activity at all. You must interact and communicate...it is all about the interaction between everyone...other guests, engineers, Brian, etc.
The place is as beautiful as any place I have ever been. This is just an added element to the architecture and building. The sense of site is overwhelming - you are jutting out into the ether of the atlantic ocean...and the environment is always in flux, clouds, fog, wind, horns, waves.
Do not go if you just want some technical experience such as Habitat for Humanity...Ghost is NOTHING like that. It is not about merely the relationship to making, but the relationship to place, process, and building. More than likely the design is done...Brian has a good idea of what he wants. That was my only disappointment, but by the end I realized that the whole thing would be impossible if you started at point A.
That said, you do get to walk through the designs process and get a history of how the design arrived at the point of departure where you have arrived.
If you get a chance and can afford it, do it. You will not be disappointed.
And I was part of Ghost 8...we built the Studio. I worked a lot on the steel web interface. Lots of cutting, drilling, lifting, and bolting.
very well put Chupa. I slept in studio under the stairs when I went - the one benefit of being vegan was sleeping on a memory foam mattress!
pixel or chupa,
that's awesome! i'm glad there are some people here who got to be a part of it. i think that i could afford the pricetag at this point. i'm viewing next summer as my last window of opportunity to do something like this. i'm graduating in two years, then i have to start making money and assume more responsibilties, blah blah blah. my concern is that 1) i have no construction or design/build experience- i did habitat for humanity in high school, but that doesn't count- and 2) i'm not a strong, scrappy guy. soo... from their point of view, i don't have a whole lot to bring to the table. maybe i can impress them with my portfolio and maybe a good letter of recommendation?
it makes sense that they have the design already fleshed out, and that's where i feel my strengths are right now. i do want to get involved, as others are saying, it seems like a wonderful experience. hmm. were there any people there with little building experience?
You don't need to be a big guy to do it. It does help if you are wanting to get involved in that type of thing though...that said, there were many who didn't. They stuck to more of the bigger team work such as sawing limber with a chop saw to just nailing...it is wood construction so there is plenty of nails to be hit with a hammer.
Don't let any personal insecurity keep you from doing it. There were all types there and everyone got to get involved. Everyone that wanted to do something go to at least try it out.
best of luck!
I believe the large majority of the group I worked with had absolutely no building experience whatsoever - maybe thats why I was accepted that year. With the experience I had I spent a large amount of time hanging out in the rafters as not everyone felt comfortable scampering around the rough framing or hanging off of scaffolding with a circ saw. The group as a whole tried to team less-experienced individuals up with those with a bit more whenever possible, and did our best to let everyone do the type of work they wanted to do, regardless of if they'd done it before. When you're working against a deadline its not always easy to do, but we made it work (or I think we did).
Like Chupa' said, don't let any personal insecurities stop you from trying - you can thank us next summer when you get back!
cool. that makes me feel a lot better! thanks for your help, i think i'm going to give it a shot and think positive.
If anybody wants a design/build experience without doing any of the design part, meet me at the University of Manitoba student garden tonight at 5:30. You'll be banging nails to build a wood shed that's half done, but needs one wall and the roof put up. Shouldn't take more than a week.
I'll only charge you $2000, and the food is free - straight from the garden, including eggs from the newly-arrived chickens.
(Hell, act now and I won't even charge you AND still provide food. I'm serious.)
sorry to join this discussion so late, and i can't add much more to what pixelwhore & chupa [what's up jason?!] described about the experience. ghost lab 8 for me was a blast and it has had a profound affect on my approach to design and practice.
pics:
ghost lab 8 on flickr
although the price seems steep, it pays for literally everything [travel, meals, field trips, room and board, the party, and even building materials], and is definitely well worth it. to focus on the money side of it, there are many ways to finance this kind of a trip.
-take out a loan on your 401K if you have started one [it's already your money, you just have to pay it off within a year]
-try to get a personal loan from local banks, or family
-apply for travel scholarships with a design related professional organization [AIA, etc.]
-if you work at a firm, talk to them about paying for at least a portion of the trip. i was able to convince my firm to pick up the plane ticket cost [round trip $800]
-maybe talk to the office administrator [beth?] about financial aid through the program itself
bottom line is that there are always ways to get or pay back the money, but the experience is what counts. and don't let anyone else fool you--the surfing that time of year is supposed to be awesome. bring your wetsuit and your board, because the beach is only a walk away!
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